Vehicle wheel-tire.



S. FLOERSHEIM. VEHICLE WHEEL TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60., FHOTO-LITHQ, WASHIiIuTUN, D. c.

S. FLOERSHEIM.

VEHICLE WHEEL TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25. I914.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

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SAMUEL FLOERSI-IEIM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE WHEEL-TIRE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed September 25, 1914. Serial No. 863,428.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL FLOERSHEIM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Wheel-Tires, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to resilient Vehicle wheel tires and especially motor vehicle tires of the kind which substitute an inclosed circular helical spring for the more usual pneumatic tube. Spring tires of this general description have been described in divers patents and publications, but have not gone largely into use, probably by reason of various defects found therein.

The object of this invention is to remedy such defects and to make such tires practicable and acceptable.

In particular I make the circular spring especially responsive along its middle line equidistant from its tread side and its inner side in order that it may readily yield forward in line with the axis of said spring, as well as circumferentially toward its center. I also combine with this continuous circular helical spring a circular series of tread plates, individually separable yet bearing end to end against each other, the inner face of each of these plates being freely in contact with several convolutions of the helical spring on the tread side thereof and provided at each end with a pair of lugs, each pair receiving one of the convolutions of said spring and holding it against displacement longitudinally of said spring, the latter being otherwise unattached to any element of the tire.

My invention consists mainly in the improvements above stated; also in certain further details hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

1 will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which I will point out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view, the section being taken on a line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion of the improved resilient support which forms part of my improvement; Fig. 4: is an enlarged side view of a portion of the resilient support showing some of the tread-plates and means for securing a tread to the tire; Fig. 5 is an enlarged central sectional view showing the manner of attaching the treadplates; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, the section being taken on a line 66 in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, my improved tire consists of a resilient supporting member consisting of a continuous coil spring, which surrounds the wheel and which supports the weight of the vehicle, a support or seat for the spring, a tread portion and tread-plates therefor. The spring or resilient supporting member is indicated by 1, the support or seat therefor by 2, the tread by 3 and the tread-plates by i. The felly of the wheel, to which the tire is secured, is indicated by 5.

One of the features of my tire is the formation of the resilient support 1 which, as can be seen, consists of a coil spring made up of a plurality of convolutions 6, each convolution having its middle part bent or carried forward out of line with the re mainder of the said convolution, the bent porpion of each convolution being indicated by 'When the weight of the vehicle is imposed upon the member 1 some of the convolutions sf of the spring will yield circumferentially and owing to the forwardly bent end portions 7 the convolutions 6 will have imparted to them a tendency to give in the direction of the axis of the spring; hence there will be two tendencies to yield, upon the part of the spring 1.

To support the spring 1 I preferably utilize the support of spring-seat 2 which is provided with a yieldable pad 8 against which the spring 1 rests. The pad 8 cushions the shock upon the spring 1. The spring seat 2 is secured in any desirable manner to the felly 5 of the wheel.

A further feature of my invention consists of the tread-plates 4 which are carried by the spring 1, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5. The trea d-plates 4 act to support the tread 3 and keep it out of contact with the spring 1, as well as to equalize or distribute the strain upon the spring.

By referring to Figs. 4: and 5 it will be seen that each tread-plate 4 engages the spring at intervals, that is to say, each treadplate engages two of the convolutions 6, the

intermediate convolutions being free; hence the Weight imposed upon a tread-plate is distributed throughout a plurality of convolutions 6. The above described engagement of the tread plates with two convolutions of the'spring near the ends of such tread plates will effectually prevent the convolutions from crowding up longitudinally of the said helical spring and will therefore maintain approximate equality of efficiency of the latter atall points, but will not bind the'convolutions'thus-heldin any other way. There are nolug's inthe space between these pairs, hence the intervening convolutions are freeto move along the-tread plates under pressureinth'e direction of the axis of said spring, that is to say, toward either of said terminal pairs of lugs. Excepting this holdingb'y -the pairsof-lugs, all'parts of'said spring are Without attachment' to any other part or element of the tire. This free'en gager'n'ent permitsautornatic adjustment to conditions and pressures without undue binding-and, "increases the 'efliciency and durability ot the spring. It will also be seen, by referring to {Fig 4, that the treadpl ates abut at the-ends hence the strain im- V posed upon 't-hespring'topropel-the vehicle,

will be conveyed from one plate to another until there will-be enough tension to equalize the tractiveforce expended. To distribute wear, I preferabl-yenlarge the tread-plates at 'their ends, the said enlargements or shoulders 9 also acting. to keep the tread 4 from slipping or creeping. To engage the spring, I provide-each treadeplate L with lugs 10 spaced to form a pocket or jaw 11 to receive a spring-convolution 6,

The tread plates abutting end to end as above stated obviously constitute an annular sectionalband or circular sectional tread plate Copies of this patent may-be obtained for five cents each, by addressi ng the washingtonfllfcif interposed betweenthe circular tread 3 and theperipheralface of said spring. It is best that the latter should.v be continuous, for moreefi'ective action, but there are advantages in having said annular tread plate To {protect ithe spring 1 from "dampness,

etc I preferably employ an apron 12 which irrthisinstance is carried bythe tread 3 and secured, at its ends, to the spring-seat 2.

.'-Havingnow described my invention, what I .anddesire to secure by Letters Pate1it,i's' a vehicle tire-comprising a continuous circularhelical spring adapted to be fitted peripherallyaround a Wheel, a tread-and an annular series of independent tread plates interposed btween said tread and said niadein separable sections; inasmuch aseach individual section or tread plate may be 111-:

dividually withdrawn for repair or to re-.

spring, said t'read-"plates being arrangedcontin'uou'slyend to end, "each plate of'the series beingprOviddzit'each end with an in wardly presented .pair of lugsreceiving a convolution 'of-said spring betweerrthem but allowing "freemovement along the axis of the spring of thejfconvolutions in the space between "saidpair'sof lugs, the spring being oth'erwise'unattached to any part. v s Signed atfNew York city, N. .Y; this 23d day'of'Septenibenltlla. r 'S AMUEL FLOERSHEIM. Witnesses: V f] i r MAURICE BLOCK, FEDWA'RD ALJA'RVISh Commissioner 0: Patents, 

